About

Rescuties! VR: Save the day with your HTC Vive/Oculus Rift!

$8,691

pledged of $8,483 goal

184

backers

Rescuties! VR is a fun, cute, and crazy VR arcade game that anybody can play, designed for the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift.

If you think the VR generation of games should be about more than spaceships, explosions, and zombies, or if you're a VR fan who wants a exciting (and adorable) experience -- join the Rescuties Reserve!

Update Wed 6/6: There's a new exclusive Kickstarter preview build that you can play right now! There's even one that doesn't require VR! Just check the updates page. (And there are more updates below!)

Babies in trouble! They need your help!

Rescuties! VR will have you dashing around your living room catching babies, cradling pets, and tossing them to safety. Through a variety of ever-crazier emergency situations, your skills will be put to the test in your quest to save the most cuties in the fastest time. It's easy to play, but tough to master. And it's all in a day's work -- if you decide to join the Rescuties Reserve!

Hunt for all sorts of hidden easter eggs, from the Magic Mushroom to the Cutie Combiner!

...it's a VR arcade game about helping people and animals out in crazy scenarios!

Here's some gameplay of level 4, "Hot Air Hysteria" I just recorded Friday May 13th:

You'll need an HTML5 capable browser to see this content.

Replay with sound

Play with sound

00:00

00:00

So: put on that headset, pick up those controllers, and get rescuin’... in Rescuties VR!

Hi everyone!! I'm Charlie.

Hi everyone! I'm Charlie.

And I love making stuff. Maybe you've seen a gif from my gif-a-day project (over 900 so far), or one of my web toys (any math nerds out there?) I've made a variety of apps, music toys, and games in the past -- mostly on the iPhone, like The Grading Game, where you race against time to find grammar mistakes in Wikipedia pages. Last year I made Word Fireworks, which'll teach you how to read and write Japanese, Chinese, Hebrew, or Korean on Android and iPhone. Rescuties would be my first VR game.

The game action is demanding on your depth perception, body motion, your own physical presence, not to mention 3D sound ("On your left!--behind you!--oh no...!") Even in the most basic scenarios, there are times where you have to look one way, throw another, and listen for a cue in yet another direction.

It's just the kind of intense action experience that VR is great at -- and it's immediately obvious how to get into it.

catch!

Until now, Rescuties has been a side project. It started out as a warm-up to a game jam. Some gifs of test footage went "viral" (as fellow kids say) and the feedback I got encouraged me to share the prototype with a few friends as I continued to tinker with it.

And tinker with it. And tinker with it... I've already got a few different scenarios going--and they all have their own unique challenges. I've got so many ideas for great new stages and mechanics. A successful Kickstarter campaign would mean focusing 100% on following through with those ideas and sharing them with you all the sooner.

rescue swimmers!

To be completely open with you, I'm a bit intimidated by this whole Kickstarter thing. But one of the most rewarding things I've done in the last few years was my gif-a-day project. I discovered that sharing my work and my process with the world is actually really fun, and a great way to stay motivated.

Kickstarting Rescuties is an experiment to make a game with the very community that would play it. It's not just about feeding you updates. I'm most excited about engaging with supporters, discussing in comments, tweets, and chats, sharing screenshots, clips, and, yes, gifs, livestreaming development, and, y'know... just generally sharing this process with you all. Plus I came up with a bunch of fun reward tiers so there's a way for anyone who believes in Rescuties to participate!

Reward Tiers breakdown

There's a ton to do, from replacing placeholder art to finalizing concepts for unfinished stages to implementing game mechanics to writing the music to, well, making more cuties to rescue. And then there's polishing up the sound effects, getting more voice acting laid down and recording the score. But as a great man once said, "OMG I can't wait."

Onward, Cheeps! -- to the to-do list!

You're going to get a front-row seat on how one person can tackle all that and, together, we can make a great VR game. You'll see my workflow in music, 3D, VR design, and sound. And hopefully you can give me the head's up when my hedgehog looks more rabid then reassuring, or if my 11-minute overture composed solely of moos and cheeps needs, y'know, less cowbell.

Funding breakdown

Your support would turbocharge the design, development and art creation the game needs to finish in a timely fashion. I'd be able to clear the decks and focus just on this project. You'd be saving Cheeps and Dogginses in no time!

Development Calendar

Together, we're going to make a great game!

one of the fun directions: down. hopefully into your arms.

I picked a funding goal that could make this happen for sure. As for going beyond that goal, well, I have some ideas...but first things first.

What else might you want to know about Rescuties development?...

Before I was a 3d nerd...before I was a coder...I was a musician. Writing a soundtrack (ahem, score) for Rescuties is one of the most exciting aspects of the project for me. I'll be going for a fun, whimsical sound that matches the kooky excitement of the game.

Here are a couple short background tracks I did for my last project, a language learning mobile game, "Word Fireworks". These are a bit more electronic than what I'll be doing for Rescuties, but maybe you can begin to get a feel for my style.

Pre-Launch FAQ (3 Questions)

Q. What's up with that funding goal number?

A. Remember making words with calculators in math class...? The funding goal covers the cost of development, workspace, software, and some decidedly un-cute things like taxes and processing fees.

Q. What's up with these "printable" gifs in the reward tiers?

A. They're made with lenticular printing, so you can see a different frame of the gif depending on what angle you're viewing from. Walk by or move the print and you'll see it move!

GIFPOP simulation.

Q. These gifs...

A. These were all created using assets I made for the the game. Hope you like'm!

TLDR: I'm 100% focused on creating a fun, cute, and crazy VR arcade game experience that anybody can play. Let's do it!

don't worry. there'll always be more to save.

back to work...

Risks and challenges

I've set up an ambitious timeline for finishing this project. I really want to get it into your hands (and faces) ASAP! But there's going to be a temptation to say "yes" to too many great ideas. I'm going to try extra-hard to be clear with myself and you all about what I'm going to hold off on and what I'm going to make awesome.

Sometimes I can get a bit wrapped up in my projects. LIke many game developers, I can feel tempted to hide in the cave, forever tinkering, and I can forget to share my work with the world.

I think the Kickstarter routine of regular updates and community interaction will help keep me on track and you in-the-know. And if you have any questions or concerns, ping me on Twitter or at cj@modeofx.com.

I can't wait to put the pedal to the metal and make something awesome for everyone!

Support

Select this reward

Pledge $5 or more
About $5

❤ Fresh Res-cute ❤

Psyched about a positive, silly, adorable game? Do you believe in a future of games beyond explosions and guns? Keep in the loop of Rescuties development and get access to cute wallpapers + animated gifs exclusive to supporters!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $110 or more
About $110

☺ Rescutie Representative ☺

Put yourself in the game! Send a photo (or choose a likeness) and I'll put you in as a low-poly gawking lookyloo! Plus, you're invited to come on the stream with voice or text chat as you watch it come alive!

Includes Cute-tenant tier rewards and above, along with your choice of a printed gifpop.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $150 or more
About $150

☄ Rescutie Squeaker of the House ☄

Be a voice of a cutie tosser! We'll get your lines recorded and in the game so all the Rescutie Reservists can hear your dulcet tones! ...Now there's a credit that'll puzzle the fanboys when you end up being a Hollywood star!

Includes Cute-tenant tier rewards and above, along with your choice of one printed gifpop from the three!--supersized to 10"!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $200 or more
About $200

✩ Rescutie C-aww-mander ✩

Put your pet in the game! Suggest a cute animal or baby variation, and you're invited to come on the stream with voice or text chat as you watch it come alive! After all, is the game really complete without gerbils or a Kanye baby? (Probably...)

Includes Cute-tenant tier rewards and rewards listed above that, along with your choice of one printed gifpop from the three--supersized to 10"!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $250 or more
About $250

⟰ Rescutie Lead T-aww-ser ⟱

Got an idea for a helpful power-up? A giant tennis racket? A huge catcher's mitt? Oh, you can think of something crazier than that...but don't. Or do. Maybe it'll be great. Tanooki suit is off-limits, just so you know.

Of course, you're invited to come on the stream with voice or text chat and we'll make it happen together!

Includes Cute-tenant tier rewards and rewards listed above that, along with your choice of one printed gifpop from the three--supersized to 10"!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $500 or more
About $500

✪ Rescutie Kawaii-dealist ✪

Got a crazy idea for a new level? Let's show the Rescutie Reserve your brilliant ideas! Plus, you're invited to come on a livecoding stream and we'll hash it out in front of the chat. I reserve final cut, but I'll try my best to capture the spirit of your concept!

Includes Cute-tenant tier rewards and rewards listed above that, along with your choice of one printed gifpop from the three--supersized to 10"!